Today we traveled from the Lot river north to the Dordogne river, although we are still in the Lot region. Most of the trip was through areas of natural scrub land interspersed with grassland, where silage was being produced. We saw many rolls of silage dotting the fields. We had some long hill climbs and also some lovely downhill runs. We only did 67km.

Our route took in Saint Cernin, Labastide-Murat, Carlucet, Couzou, Rocamadour, Alvignac, Miers and finally Carennac.

Rocamadour is a very unique place and we spent some time sight seeing here (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocamadour for pictures). We first caught sight of the village built into the cliffs on the other side of a steep gorge we were descending. The road took us right to the bottom of the cliff and we had to make our way up again to the village. There is a little train that takes tourists up there (cars have to park at the bottom).

It is very much a tourist town. The village has one main street that runs along the cliff where we enjoyed an expensive coffee. There are lots of boutique tourist food and clothing shops along here. All the buildings are pretty stone buildings with high pitched roofs.

We then climbed a steep stairway to the chapels built into the cliff above the village. The back wall of the church is natural rock and the shape is squat and wide to fit into the space. There is also a chapel devoted to Mary that has a black virgin statue, it is filled with candles and people at prayer.

These churches were built from 1152 and it has been a place of pilgrimage since then. The pilgrims used to kneel down to pray on each step of the Great Stairway that goes up to the church.

It was a steep climb back up out of the valley with our bikes to the neighboring town of L’Hospitalet, the site of hospitals built to accommodate the pilgrims. Here we found a food shop and the tourist office. So we arranged our accommodation and bought some food for supper before setting off for Carennac.

Carennac is rated as one of France’s most beautiful villages (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carennac). All the buildings are made of stone and it has an 11th century church and cloister at the center. It is on the Dordogne river. It is a small village and we are staying in a hotel here.